If there’s one factor Andy Samberg is understood for, it’s his comedic chops and his iconic work with The Lonely Island; we’ve even ranked the perfect Lonely Island music movies in the event you’re curious. However even comedy greats like Samberg aren’t proof against moments of self-doubt—particularly when it entails one other beloved comedy establishment and one of many finest sitcoms of all time. Lately, the Saturday Evening Dwell alum opened up about his preliminary response to Season 3 of The Workplace’s “Lazy Scranton” video, a parody that includes Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) rapping about Scranton in true Lonely Island-esque model.
For followers who keep in mind, “Lazy Scranton” was a chilly open from the episode “The Merger,” the place Michael and Dwight introduce new staff to the Dunder Mifflin department by means of a cringey-yet-hilarious parody of The Lonely Island’s “Lazy Sunday.” Whereas the skit has change into iconic, Samberg admitted in a current episode of The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers podcast that he wasn’t certain methods to take it at first. Sandberg recounted:
I very distinctly keep in mind it, and I keep in mind having to undergo the emotions or like ‘Are they making enjoyable of it? Or are they making enjoyable of individuals doing their model of it?’ And slowly I got here to comprehend that Mike was our buddy favored what we have been making and stuff and being like ‘Oh I see.’
It may be tough to see your work mirrored by others, particularly when it’s carried out with humor. The uncertainty of questioning whether or not The Workplace was mocking The Lonely Island or celebrating their affect is a relatable second for any artist. In the event you want a reminder of the brilliance of “Lazy Sunday,” test it out, linked beneath.
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Seth Meyers clarified the parody was very a lot rooted in the kind of humor that made Michael Scott such an ideal character you like to hate or hate to like. The Late Evening host added:
Yeah, it was very a lot the latter. That might be a factor that Michael Scott would do.
Samberg additional mirrored on how the parody tapped into a bigger cultural phenomenon. The musically proficient SNL veteran continued:
It was the phenomenon of individuals dressing up as stuff and doing their very own ‘our factor is our workplace in our city,’ the fan model of it.
Akiva Schaffer, one other member of The Lonely Island, closed out the dialogue with a sentiment of appreciation for the way far-reaching their work had change into. Schaffer chimed in to notice, ‘we have been very flattered.’
This is The Workplace‘s parody:
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In the long run, it’s clear “Lazy Scranton” wasn’t only a parody however a celebration of the cultural shift–particularly when it got here to beloved SNL sketches The Lonely Island had created. For Samberg and his group, realizing their work had reached the purpose of being spoofed by a beloved sequence like The Workplace was each humbling and rewarding.
So, subsequent time you watch the cringe-filled brilliance of “Lazy Scranton,” take a second to understand the layers of humor—and the truth that even comedy legends like Andy Samberg typically need to pause and ask, “Wait, am I in on the joke?”
The trio of comedy geniuses continues to push comedy and style. The Lonely Island’s subsequent huge undertaking is a film collaboration with Scream’s Radio Silence. Please signal me up.
Try our 2025 TV schedule to see what’s coming to your small display screen within the upcoming new 12 months—your complete sequence of U.S. The Workplace is out there to stream with a Peacock subscription.